Genovesa Island
Genovesa Island is home to over one million seabirds. Our highlights here were diverse, from Nazca, red- & blue-footed boobies to gulls, owls and fur seals, but we believe the highlight was the juvenile Nazca boobies’ first flight at Darwin Bay.
Our adventure began with a wet landing on a white coralline beach inside Darwin Bay, named by a celebrity visitor, William Beebe, in honor of this great naturalist who re-directed human thought. At low tide and over a platform we walked, surrounded by birds of all kinds. We were first moved by a little swallow-tailed gull that was an egg just a few days ago; now its parents are taking care of it by sheltering and feeding it daily until it is time to fend for itself. We were also happy to find a few marine iguanas, which are smaller and darker; this northern hemisphere island has much different ecology and, like a petri-dish, different results.
Back aboard we prepared for our last snorkeling outing, in search of hammerhead sharks. To see them close brought excitement and admiration.
We were then ready to start our next adventure, which was a walk that starts at the famous Prince Philip’s Steps, where we were able to find the elusive short-eared owl. Luckily for us, we had a guest with sharp eyes who was able to spot it and we were all rewarded with a unique view of this camouflaged raptor.
Taking the walk was like being transported back in time. There were birds flying all over just like in prehistoric times and lava formations resembling the first foundation of Earth. Then the sun set for an excellent farewell to the afternoon.
We have all bonded like a family, united by this invisible mysticism At the end of our journey we hope to stay in touch and we hope that the experience our guests had this week will stay with them for a lifetime.
